Book by BestCurrentAffairs.com for IAS Prelims 2020
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India Year Book 2020 Synopsis
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Page No.99
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The research and development in frontier areas of science and engineering has received an overwhelming support with the establishment of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). Several new initiatives have been launched by the Board recently to reverse the brain drain at different stages of scientific careers such as Early Career Research Awards (ECRA) for young faculty for setting up laboratory facilities for quick launching of research by new faculty, around 300 candidates will be supported annually under ECRA. A National Postdoctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) scheme will allow the best of 3000 scientists to stay in India to serve and strengthen R&D institutions, industry and universities. A scheme for funding High Risk-High Reward Research to work on cutting-edge innovative science rather than incremental science has been launched to support upto 10 projects per year costing about ₹ 20 crores per project. Innovation in science pursuit for inspired research (INSPIRE) is an ongoing initiative for attraction of talent for science and research. Department of Science and Technology launched several initiatives for women in science under its flagship scheme namely KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing). Through this unique initiative, DST provides opportunity to women scientists who had break in their career, primarily due to family reasons, to pursue research in physical & mathematical sciences, chemical sciences, life sciences, earth & atmospheric sciences and engineering technology. National Mission of Nano Science and Technology - an umbrella programme-was launched in 2007 to promote R&D in this emerging area of research in a comprehensive fashion. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change (NMSKCC) launched under National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) are under implementation by the Department. As part of deliverables of these national missions, six major research programmes have been initiated and supported. National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) has been evolved as an umbrella scheme for a seamless innovation ecosystem booster. The specific components of NIDHI are - grand challenge and competitions for scouting innovations; promotion and acceleration of young and aspiring innovators & startups (PRAYAS) - support from idea to prototype; entrepreneur in residence (EIR) - support system to reduce risk; startup-NIDHI through innovation and entrepreneurship development centres (IEDCs) in academic institutions for encouraging students to promote start-ups; start-up centre in collaboration with MHRD - inculcating a spirit of entrepreneurship in national institutions of higher learning; technology business incubator (TBI) - converting innovations to startups; accelerator-fast tracking a start-up through focused intervention; seed support system (SSS) - providing early stage investment; centres of excellence (COE) - a world class facility to help startups go global and/or scale up. Survey of India (SOI), the national survey and mapping organisation under the Ministry of Science and Technology, was set up in 1767. The primary responsibility of SOI is to maintain topographical map coverage on 1:250K, 1:50K and l:25K scales. The topographical map coverage on l:250K and 1:50K scales covering the entire country has been completed and the map sheets are being updated at regular intervals to depict latest spatial information. Surveys on 1:25K scale were taken up as national requirement keeping in view the priorities indicated by the central/ state governments and other user agencies. It has also been called upon extensively to deploy its expertise in the field of geodetic and geophysical surveys, study of seismicity and seismotectonics, glaciology, participation in Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and projects related to digital cartography and digital photogrammetry, etc., to provide basic data to keep pace with Science and Technology Department. The Survey of India also provides support to other countries e.g., Nigeria, Afghanistan, Kenya, Iraq, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Bhutan, Mauritius, etc., in the field of mapping, survey education, transfer of technology, and various other surveying technologies under bilateral arrangements. Under UN mandate, Survey of India also provides support to countries in Asia-Pacific region for capacity building in spatial data infrastructures. Survey Training Institute, Hyderabad established under UNDP assistance is a premier institution for training in various disciplines of surveying and mapping to the trainees sponsored by the Department, other state/central government organisations and neighbouring countries. Keeping in view a new National Map Policy announced in May, 2005, Open Series Maps based on UTM projection and WGS-84 datum which is compatible with the coordinate system of GPS, used in all activities of surveying and mapping, are being published for users community. Defence Series Maps based on-Lambert Conformal Conic Projection and WGS-84 datum are being published for defence forces which are declared as classified.
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The new Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy unveiled in 2013 includes a thrust for innovations in science and technology sector. Science, research and innovation system for high technology led path for India (SRISHTI) is the main policy goal. Department of Science & Technology has already established a dedicated Policy Research Cell.
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